by Anya Byrne
Finn blinked, trying to figure out what was hiding behind Saul's vague replies. Clearly, at one point, he'd been taken to the pack house, since he was in one of the mansion sick rooms. But there was also something Saul wasn't telling him. Something big.
Still, Saul had a point. Despite Finn's urgency, he had to admit that he'd been out for quite a while, during which time his family had been unable to wash him too much. He couldn't let his mate see him this way.
With that thought in mind, Finn went to the bathroom and stepped into the shower. He washed quickly and efficiently, his mind focused on his goal—to reach Parker as soon as possible.
As it turned out, he didn't have to go in pursuit of his beautiful mate. Just as he was stepping out of the bathroom, the door to his quarters burst open and Parker rushed inside. Before Finn could even get a good look at his mate, Parker was launching himself into his arms.
At first, Parker just held him, tightly, so tightly, his hands roaming over Finn's body as if he was trying to map every inch of Finn, to assure himself Finn was really there. Finn was still naked, so the touch could have quickly grown sensual if not for the fact that Parker suddenly pulled away and punched him.
It wasn't a real punch, more like a light hit against Finn's shoulder. However, Parker's glare made up for the lack of force behind the blow. "You're such an idiot. How dare you get yourself shot like that? Do you have any idea how worried I was?"
Finn might have been concerned about his mate's anger, but that latter question simply melted his heart. He caught his mate's wrists, keeping Parker from hitting him again. "Were you really?"
"Of course." Parker's lower lip trembled, and unexpectedly, his eyes filled with tears. "You almost died, you asshole."
The about face in emotion seemed so sudden it took Finn by surprise. He hugged Parker, taking comfort in his mate's proximity while at the same time trying to reassure his mate. Yes, he'd nearly been killed, but so had Parker, and that was one thing he'd never forgive himself for.
Finn held Parker as closely as he could, too easily remembering the way he'd looked with Lisbet on top of him, seconds away from tearing his throat out. She might have even succeeded, because Finn's efforts to stop her and her accomplices would have never managed to save his mate. Who'd have thought a silencer would be the one to do what Finn couldn't? Finn owed Erdi more than he could ever say.
Just as he thought this, Finn became aware that something was different about Parker. His usually slender body seemed slightly more... swollen around the middle. Suddenly light-headed, Finn broke their embrace and dropped to his knees.
A few months ago, pregnancy wouldn't have been his first guess in such a situation, but he'd considered it as a possibility from the moment they'd had sex. When he pressed his hands to the slight swell of Parker's belly and his mate shivered, he knew he'd been right. Still, because he had to hear it, because he had to know, he asked, "Parker?"
Parker released a soft, shaky laugh. "I guess this is where I reveal you're going to be a daddy? Well, technically speaking, we're both going to be daddies. How does that even work? Do you want to be Dad or Pop?"
He was rambling, almost hyperventilating, but out of it all, Finn grasped how difficult it must have been for Parker to find this out and get used to the thought without Finn being there to support him. Moon be blessed, Finn felt like such an asshole for not at least managing to warn Parker of the possibility.
He pulled Parker down and into his lap, petting his hair, taking in his familiar scent. Slowly, his self-deprecation and guilt settled into something else—into a warmth that emanated from his heart to every cell in his body.
A pup. A child born out of him and Parker. The thought should have scared him, and in a way, it did. Pups were so fragile, and despite the time he'd spent unconscious, Finn knew the current climate of the werewolf world wasn't the safest for pup rearing. Still, the idea that Parker was expecting his child made him happier than he'd ever believed he could be. And the best thing was that Parker felt the same. Beyond all the wariness and the panic, Finn could feel his mate's enthusiasm, wild, almost overwhelming.
That enthusiasm suddenly began to swirl into a limbo of confusion and anxiety. Finn's bond with Parker was incomplete, so he couldn't reassure his mate as much as he'd have liked to, at least not at once. Parker broke away from him and pinned him with a torn look. "Finn?" he asked quietly. "Are you... Are you crying? That wasn't exactly the reaction I'd been hoping for."
Finn blinked, for the first time realizing that a few tears had indeed pooled at the corners of his eyes. It would have been ridiculous, because he didn't remember when he'd last cried. Possibly a few decades ago, when his mother had died. He also figured out his emotional outburst was the whole reason for Parker's anxiety.
"Oh, baby," he whispered back. "You have no idea... I'm just... I always wanted to have a family, and when I met you, I could see us together, raising a pup. But... I didn't dare to hope for too much."
As he spoke, he peppered Parker's face with kisses. He didn't want to say that he'd feared Parker's reaction to his werewolf nature. That was one thing they still hadn't discussed, even if Parker obviously knew about it.
The kisses melted his lover's apprehension, turning it into an ever-growing arousal. "So... You're happy about it?" Parker asked, a little breathless.
"Happy? I'm... I have no words. I don't know what I did to deserve all this, but I promise you, baby, I'll protect you, and our child."
He meant for the vow to come out like a solemn vow, since it was a promise he had every intention of keeping. It didn't turn out quite like that. His body always responded to Parker's proximity, but the knowledge of how easily he could have lost this fueled the fire of his need for Parker.
Their mouths met in a fervent clash, and soon, Finn was thrusting his tongue in Parker's mouth, greedily taking in his mate's taste. Parker gave as much as he took, moaning as he buried his fingers in Finn's hair and melted into the kiss.
They broke apart to breathe, at which point Finn realized something very important. "Wait... We can't do this. I don't want to hurt you," both of them said at the same time.
A long pause followed as they stared at each other. Finally, Finn decided to elaborate on his train of thought. "You're pregnant."
Parker scowled. "You just recovered from a three week coma."
Yikes, okay, Finn could understand where his mate was coming from. He felt fine. His werewolf physiology had made sure of that, and he wouldn't have come to otherwise. But he couldn't fault his mate for worrying, not when he himself was concerned any possible strain might endanger Parker's pregnancy. They'd already been making out on the floor, and while Finn didn't particularly mind the discomfort, he didn't want even the slightest risk to endanger their baby.
Despite the need bubbling in every cell of his body, Finn resigned himself to the unavoidable. Still holding Parker, he got up. "I can walk," Parker sputtered as Finn carried him to the bed.
Finn smiled at him. "I know. Just indulge me this time around, okay?"
Parker released a weary sigh. "You're going to be insufferable about this pregnancy, aren't you?"
If insufferable meant over protective, hell yeah. Finn knew enough from his brother's experience to be aware of everything this pregnancy could mean. He was actively trying not to think about the time William Orwell had warned them even the birth father's life might be at risk. His fear for Parker warred with enthusiasm of being a father, and he didn't think he could be blamed for holding Parker a little tighter, a little closer.
Even when he placed his mate down on the mattress, Finn didn't delay in joining Parker and pulling him to his chest. Parker didn't seem to mind, and Finn knew his lover craved this proximity as much as Finn did.
In hindsight, he should have expected it would happen. Finn was still naked, and Parker so close. He didn't even mean to do anything, just to touch Parker, to feel completely reassured his mate was there. Somehow, though, his hands slid underneath Parker's clothe
s. Parker made a noise that should have been illegal, and Finn's cock, which had already been half-hard, went completely erect again.
His fear for Parker remained just as potent, though, and he held back. Parker, it seemed, had other ideas. He slid out of Finn's embrace and scanned his face seriously. "I want this, Finn... I just... I can't lose you."
"You'll never lose me," Finn said automatically. The words weren't enough, he realized that now. After what they'd both been through, verbal reassurances wouldn't do.
Besides, how could Finn possibly help himself? His mate was too much of a temptation, and everything inside Finn screamed to kiss and touch, to claim and take and give. It wasn't simply carnal need. His wolf demanded they complete their bond, to feel Parker's total acceptance. It was there, just within his reach, but not quite... Not quite where it was supposed to be.
Finn unbuttoned his mate's shirt, giving Parker time to back out of this and himself the chance to take in every inch of his beautiful lover. His brother and Gavin had sex during Gavin's pregnancy, he knew that much. He just needed to be very careful, very gentle, and it wouldn't be all that hard.
Parker tried to help him, eventually managing to discard his shirt on the floor. From that point, Finn took over. He pushed his mate down and straddled him, proceeding to pull off his shoes and his pants. Everything was loose and easily removable, obviously in deference to Parker's condition.
At last, he had his mate naked underneath him. The swell of Parker's belly was more than a little obvious now. If Finn's hands trembled when he caressed the tiny lump that was his child, Parker didn't seem to blame him. He just smiled up at Finn, watching him with eyes that shone with the same emotion glowing in Finn's chest.
Finn was entranced by the sight of his mate's open expression. It befuddled him how a human could be so accepting of the paranormal world. He himself hadn't known how to react when he'd heard about the male pregnancy thing the first time, and he was a werewolf. Even assuming that Parker had time to get accustomed to the thought while Finn had been unconscious, Finn knew he was ridiculously lucky to have a mate who was so open-minded.
He was snapped out of his trance when Parker suddenly said, "Gavin and Jessie told me true mates have a mental link. They said it most likely exists already on your side, but not yet on mine."
Finn swallowed around the sudden knot in his throat and nodded. "The bond means commitment, the... the acceptance that the other person is It for you. I would never force you into that."
Parker rolled his eyes. "Idiot. As if I'd be carrying your baby if I didn't want to be with you."
Appropriately chastised, Finn nonetheless gave his mate a wild grin. "Well, it's an easily fixable problem."
After that, the words faded away into kisses shared in an almost reverent silence, caresses exchanged with almost wary desire. Lips met, fingers entwined, bodies tangled together on the sheets. The sound of their ragged breaths and that their heartbeats echoed in the quiet, and it was perfect, because they didn't have to say anything. Everything they needed to communicate was right there, in the tremors that swept over Parker's body, in the way Parker bit Finn's lower lip when they kissed, as if trying to keep him from pulling away. It was there in Finn's complete inability to breathe anything save the oxygen in Parker's lungs and his thirst for Parker's sweat, in the erotic slide of their cocks against one another, and the ever-pulsing need burning through both of them.
Finn kissed every inch of his mate, from his eyebrows to his feet. He sucked Parker's collarbone, his nipples and his dainty toes. He licked over the swell of Parker's belly, reveling in the feel of the life he could sense so close to him. He thrust his tongue into Parker's bellybutton and into the slit of Parker's dick. In turn, Parker touched every part of Finn he could reach at any given time, his hands mapping the lines of Finn's face, his back, his abdomen, finally settling into Finn's hair as Finn sucked his cock. And all the while, they still didn't speak. The only audible signs of Parker's pleasure were the catches of his breath, beautiful of their own accord, and by now, translatable from a language Finn instinctively understood.
As he bobbed his head up and down Parker's cock, Finn spread his mate's legs wide and reached for Parker's opening. He teased Parker's hole with a single finger and was rewarded with another catch of breath and a tightening of Parker's hold in his hair. In Finn's mouth, Parker's dick leaked copious amounts of precum, and within the taste of the fluid, Finn read Parker's every desire.
This time, he didn't pull off. He continued sucking slowly, worshiping the flesh in his mouth. He took his time, swirling his tongue around the glans, then briefly focusing on the perfect spheres of Parker's balls. Under his fingertips and his mouth, the sexual tension buzzing through Parker's skin—a tension that sizzled all the way into Finn's pores—increased more and more.
Finally, Finn took his mate's dick deep into his throat and swallowed, all the while thrusting one dry finger into Parker's ass. Just like that, his mate came, his cock spurting jets of hot cum which Finn greedily swallowed. As he writhed underneath Finn, Parker uttered a small cry, one single syllable, "Finn!"
Coupled with the taste of Parker's cum, Parker's moan almost sent Finn over the edge. If it didn't, it must have been only because he hungered to bury himself inside his mate, the need an intense flame that burned low in his gut.
As his mate's body shuddered through the waves of orgasm, Finn scanned the room for anything he could use for lubricant. He blinked when he caught sight of a bottle sitting innocuously on the nightstand. He couldn't help a small laugh when he realized Saul must have left it. Perhaps what amused him most, though, was that he had no idea when Saul had left. His brother's presence had simply slid out of his mind.
Well, he'd have to remember to thank his brother later. Much later. For now he had a mate to claim.
Finn snatched the bottle of lube from the nightstand and opened it with a flick of his wrist. He poured a generous amount of the slick liquid on his fingers and reached for Parker's hole. Parker's body was still relaxed from the orgasm and easily opened to Finn's gentle intrusion. One finger, then two, then three, and his mate took them all with ease, his flesh welcoming the invading digits.
Even so, Finn still took his time, stretching Parker gently, all the while drinking in the beloved features of Parker's face. He found his mate's prostate and massaged it, loving the way Parker twitched underneath him in response. By the time he deemed Parker ready, his mate was moving back against his digits, already hard once again.
Parker was so beautiful like this, in his unrestrained passion, that Finn made no move to take things further—at least not until Parker whispered his name again. After that... Well, even Finn had his limits. He pulled his fingers out of Parker and spread Parker's legs wide, positioning his cock at his mate's opening. Slowly, he slid into the haven of Parker's body.
It was so different from the first time they'd been together, but that didn't make it any less perfect. Finn moved slowly, rocking, rather than thrusting, every part of him in synch with Parker's body. His wolf was free and wild, but content to inch forward, to claim his mate in this way that suited the heart as well as the body.
Parker moved with him, but he didn't press for a faster rhythm either. He wrapped his arms around Finn's neck and his legs around Finn's waist and held on, his gaze always fixed on Finn's face, as if he couldn't quite look away.
And then, Parker tilted his head, wordlessly offering what he'd already asked for earlier. Finn lowered his mouth over Parker's neck and bit down, never stopping his gentle thrusts. As his canines pierced Parker's creamy skin and Parker's blood filled his mouth, a feeling of rightness and perfection settled over Finn. Their bond tightened and slid into place, and orgasm rushed over Finn in a wave of pleasure, relief and love.
Through their connection, he experienced the sensations and emotions Parker did, and oh, he heard Parker's voice in his mind, "Finn... Oh, Finn... Stay with me. Stay with us."
The memory of Parker's
terror lingered in those mental words, and Finn held Parker closer and as tightly as he could without putting pressure on Parker's belly. "Not going anywhere, baby. Never again. I promise."
Parker's eyes widened, the beautiful human obviously taken aback by the mental communication thing. He wasn't scared anymore, though. The happiness bubbling in his heart spilled into his bond with Finn, and Finn found himself grinning like an idiot.
Even as the high of the orgasm settled, Finn didn't immediately slide out of his mate. The knot that bound true mates together during intercourse kept him from pulling away. Finn enjoyed every second of it, of this closeness that wasn't even necessarily sensual. The happiness that bubbled inside him didn't fade even when the knot receded and his cock left Parker's body. Still high on the emotion, Finn collapsed on the bed next to Parker and he pulled his mate close. Parker curled against him, and for a few moments, they both subsided into silence.
Parker was the one who spoke first. He propped his chin on Finn's chest and arched a brow. "So, a werewolf, huh?"
Finn couldn't help it. He chuckled lightly at Parker's inquiring smile. "Yeah. I was going to tell you that day, but..." His amusement faded as the memories burst into his mind. "Wait... What happened after I was knocked out?"
He'd never given his brother time to explain the details, and really, he had no idea how they'd ended up here beyond the assistance provided by Erdi.
"Your friend, the err... silencer kind of killed all of them." Parker winced, the recollection obviously bothering him. "I knocked your ex out before he stepped in, so she survived. She's being held somewhere in the mansion, and she's apparently come to, but I haven't seen her. The other Alpha was really pissed because apparently the guy who shot at us was his son and heir."
It was Finn's turn to wince. Fuck. That wouldn't go over well. He wondered what in the world the silencer guilds were doing. Taking care of issues in their own ranks and providing information was one thing, but going ahead and shooting the son of an Alpha... Yeah, that simply wasn't done.